The CDC figured out that there are trigger words and phrases that get Republicans up in arms. They want to accomplish the same public health goals they always have, and not get pilloried for it by the people who have the ability to pull their funding. In order to do that, they had to self-censor, which is an insidious evil, and hard to counteract.

I believe that there is an important distinction between 'business acumen' and 'Blatantly trying to conceal the exact aims and methods of our work.'

I understand what they did. I understand why they did it. I understand why various context-specific taboos exist to delineate 'work' from 'real life' and why you don't talk about money, politics or religion at work. I also think that we need more honesty and forthrightness in our system, not less.